THE sanctions placed by other countries on Fiji will not stop it from functioning, says interim Finance minister Mahendra Chaudhry.
He made the comment after finding it difficult to travel to Koror in Palau for the three-day Forum Economic Ministerial meeting, which starts on Tuesday.
The 11th annual meeting is organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
The gathering which has been held since 1997 is where Economic Ministers and their senior officials gather to ponder the developmental challenges facing their nations and the region as a whole.
He said governor of the Reserve Bank Savenaca Narube would be representing the interim Government.
Mr Chaudhry said there was nothing substantial in the agenda of the meeting and it was something that did not really require his presence.
However, after raising these points, Mr Chaudhry said he faced difficulty to travel to Palau because of the travel restriction imposed by the United States of America government.
"I could still go, but I decided not to go," Mr Chaudhry said.
He said Australia and New Zealand had also imposed similar sanctions.
Mr Chaudhry said the result of the sanctions would affect Fiji's regional participation in meetings such as the one to be held in Palau.
"But I want to make a point very clear that this won't stop Fiji from functioning," he said.
Mr Narube could not be reached for comments.